Puncture-detector for pneumatic tires



(No Model.)

S. O. PREELS 8v J. T. McKEAN.

PUNGTURE DETECTOR FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

No. 585,200. Patented June 29, 1897.

Nirnb SAMUEL O. FREELS, OF HOLLISTER, AND JOHN T. MOKEAN, OF SANTA CRUZ,CALIFORNIA.

PUNCTURE=DETECTOR FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 585,200, dated June 29,1897.

Application filed November 29,1895. Serial N- 57OA40. (No model.)

To ctZl whom it may concern: same showing its application to a tire.Fig. Be it known that we, SAMUEL O. FREELS, 3 is a section showing ourdevice modified as residing at Hollister, county of San Benito, to themeans for detecting the passage of the and JOHN T. MOKEAN, residing atSanta Cruz, air from the tire or air-receptacle. 5 5 5 county of SantaCruz, State of California, A is a casing. Its lower portion isconcitizens of the United States, have invented formed in shape to thereceptacle over which a Puncture-Detector for Pneumatic Tires; it'ispassed, so that it may form therewith a and we hereby declare thefollowing to be a tight or an approximately tight joint. full, clear,and exact description of the same. In the use of our device inconnection With 10 Our invention relates to devices for detectapneumatic tire the lower portion of the easing punctures or air-escapeapertures in reing is cut or hollowed out, as shown, to conceptaclescontaining air under pressure, esform to the transverse section of thetire T, pecial regard being had to the pneumatic so that it may fit oversaid tire and make tires of bicycles and other vehicles employa closeand sufficiently perfect joint and for 6 5 ing wheels with tires of likecharacter. acommunication therewith through the punc- Our inventionconsists in the novel details ture or air-aperture. In connection withthe of construction and arrangement of the decasing are means to detectthe passage of the vice which we shall hereinafter fully describe. airtherein. These means may be any device The object of our invention is toprovide a or part adapted to be moved by the inrushing 20 simple andeffective device for detecting airairsuch, for example, as the flexibledia'- holes or punctures in air-containing recepphragm P, (shown in Fig.3,) which by its tacles. movement will show the entrance of the air. Theparticular use of our device is in con- Other means, unnecessary hereinto show, nection with the pneumatic tires of bicycles may be used, butthe best means consist of '25 and other vehicles employing wheels with amaterial which will be visibly or sensibly tires of like character. Thedifficulty of deagitated or moved by the incoming air. Any tecting thelocation of a puncture in a pneusuitable light or flaky material may beused matic tire is well known. Much time is lost for this purposesuch asbran or light cotin this operation, and in many cases its deton orfabric of any kindbut we have found o tection is impossible, or at bestuncertain, in practice that a very good material and and is often withinthe power only of one one which serves the purpose well is tissueskilledin such searches. The means usually paper out up into small pieces.employed for this purpose are not always B represents the material to beagitated. convenient. The most common practice is It is best confinedwithin the casing bya bot- 3 5 by the use of a little water placed overthe tom O, pervious to air. This bottom may be point at which thepuncture is suspected, of any material. Fine wire-gauze answers but eventhis requires a previous suspicion the purpose well. In the use of ourdevice of the location and in many cases results in it is placed uponthe tire so as to form a praca fruitless and long-continued experiment.tically airtight joint therewith and is gradu- 9o 40 Another way, andthat commonly employed ally moved along over the tire. When it inrepair-shops, is to immerse the tire in a reaches the location of thepuncture, the air body of water and watch for the air-bubbles. from thetire escaping up into the casingwill This and other means are, as wehave before pass through the pervious bottom 0 and will stated,inconvenient and are not always efagitate or sensibly move the material13 upon 5 5 fective. Our device, on the other hand, is it, by whichmeans the presence and location simple, can .be easily carried by therider, can of the puncture are determined. be applied by him withperfect accuracy and The casing may be of any suitable construcwithcertain results of detection. tion, and in its best form it is made of alower Referring to the accompanying drawings, ring a and an upper ringa, the two being de- I00 50 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the besttachably connected by suitable meansas, form of our device. Fig. 2 is asection of for example, by screwing upon one another,

as we have here shown. This will give an opportunity to place the bottomC and to remove it, if necessary, and also to place the material Bwithin it.

In order to render the device portable without losing any of thematerial I the top of the casing may be suitably guarded, and the bestway in which to do this is by having a piece of g] ass D in the top ofthe casing, which, while confining the materiahwill permit readyobservation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A puncture-detector for pneumatic tires and other air-containingreceptacles consisting of a casing adapted to detachably fit the surfaceof said tire or receptacle, and having; a bottom pervious to air, and aloose material upon said bottom adapted to be agitated by the airpassing into the casing.

2. A puncture-detector for pneumatic tires and other air-containingreceptacles consisting of a casing having its lower portion conformed inshape to fit upon and form an approximately tight joint with the tire orother air-containing receptacle and a bottom pervious to air, and aloose material upon. said bottom adapted to be agitated by the airpassing into the casing.

A puncture-detcctor for pneumatic tires and other air-containingreceptacles consisting of a casing adapted to fit the surface of thetire or receptacle and having a bottom pervious to air, a loose materialupon the bottom adapted to be agitated by the air passing into thecasing, and a sight-cover in the top of the casing.

4-. A puncture-detector for pneumatic tires and other air-containingreceptacles consisting of a casing formed of detachably-connected rings,the lower one of which is cont'ormed in shape to fit the surface of thetire or receptacle and form an approximately tight joint therewith, abottom to said casing pervious to air, a material upon the bottomadapted to be agitated by the air passing into the casing, and asight-cover in the upper portion of the upper ring, of the casing.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

SAMUEL o. FREELS. JOHN T. MQKEAN.

\Vitnesses to S. O. Freels:

THOMAS \V. lLiwKINs, GEORGE \VAPPLE.

Witnesses to J. T. McKean: Emvann LEEDILUI,

W. R. SPRINGER.

